1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet feeding apparatus applicable to a printer, a photocopier or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a printer and such apparatuses, to dispose a sheet stack part below a recording part is an advantageous measure of reduction in occupation space of the apparatuses. However, a sheet conveyance path in such a structure must be formed in a U-shape, so the following disadvantage of unfavorable influence in printing is brought about. That is, depending an stiffness of the sheet, on an upstream side of the U-shaped path, as indicated by a double-dotted dashed line in FIG. 3A, a rear edge of the sheet sliding in contact with a path wall causes a back tension in such a direction as to pull back the sheet away from a main sheet feed roller as shown as indicated by double-dotted dashed lines a1, a2 in FIG. 4.
On the other hand, after entrance of the rear edge into the U-shaped path, as indicated by a double-dotted dashed line in FIG. 3B and FIG. 4, a rear edge of the sheet in contact with and thrusting against an outer guide wall causes a tension in such a direction as forward the sheet toward the main sheet feed roller. Incidentally, the sheet feeding load in FIG. 4 indicates a value when the rear edge of the sheet is positioned at the position corresponding to the horizontal value in FIG. 4 (i.e. x-axis value).